Rabat – A Moroccan court specialising in cases related to “terrorism” has sentenced 10 people to jail terms, including some accused of recruiting fighters for Syria and Iraq, official media said on Saturday.

Three defendants accused of plotting to “carry out acts of terror” were given the longest sentence of five years each, the official MAP news agency said.

It did not identify those convicted, but said that one had fought in the ranks of the jihadist Islamic State group and had been wounded in the leg.

Among the other defendants jailed by the court was a minor sentenced given six months for “praising terrorist acts”, the agency said.

Other defendants tried in the same case, including for indoctrination, were given jail terms of between two and four years.

In September, the government approved a draft law to tighten anti-terrorist legislation, aimed especially at stopping people from joining jihadist groups.

More than 2 000 Moroccans, including people with dual citizenship, are believed to have signed on with jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq.

– AFP

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